The End is only the Beginning
by leonie2
Summary: After Naraku is dead and the jewel completed, Kagome wants to return to her own time only to find the well closed and herself stuck in the Feudal Era. She tries to make a life for herself as a village miko - until she saves Sesshoumaru from certain death. With their fates tangled, can they both overcome their aversion for each other?
1. The End

The End is only the Beginning

I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. This fanfiction is written for my and the readers' pleasure.

Chapter 1: The End

This was the end.

After years of fighting to rid the world of Naraku and to complete the Shikon jewel, it felt almost surreal that they had actually achieved both goals. It had already felt like a dream when Kagome stood on the battlefield with the complete jewel in her hands, ready to make the one truly selfless wish that would make the jewel disappear from the world for good this time.

She had known what that wish would be for a while and so she didn't hesitate when the time came – you never knew when the next stupid demon crow would appear to snatch it away again. And so Kagome, the time-traveling Shikon Miko had whished for Inuyasha to become a human and for Kikyou to return back to life, with a human body and a soul of her own.

It meant heartbreak for herself but wasn't that what selfless wishes were supposed to be like? Now Kikyou and Inuyasha could start again and live their life as it should have been without the interference of Naraku – and without the interference of Kagome herself. The realization that she was not supposed to be at Inuyasha's side had hurt so much when it hit the young miko, but on the other hand it helped her with the decision of what to do after Naraku's demise.

She would go home through the well and continue her life where she had left off while occasionally visiting her friends in the Feudal Era. Despite her assurances that she would come to visit, everyone knew that she would soon be too busy to do so and that she would not be a part of their lives anymore. The last farewell was long and tearful and only Kikyou and Inuyasha were afterwards allowed to walk with her to the well. It felt right for them to be there at the end when her destiny was finally fulfilled.

Kikyou's face was impassive as always. It had lost the pallor of death but her skin was still lighter than Kagome's and added to her tranquil beauty. Silence enfolded the small group when they stopped by the well and the resurrected miko was the first one to break it.

"What are you going to do once you reached your time?"

Kagome looked up from the well and faced her former rival.

"I'll finish school. I have a lot of catching up to do but I hope I'll eventually be able to graduate"

She took a big breath. Then she turned to Inuyasha, her first love, and hugged him.

"Goodbye. I'll miss you. I wish you and Kikyou all the best. Be happy."

There was not much more she could say. This was where their paths would separate and they both knew it. Now he would start his life as a human and husband and Kagome wondered how he would adjust to settling down and being part of a big community – huge changes for the former nomadic hanyou.

"We will. Goodbye, Kagome. Take care. "

Inuyasha was smiling slightly. It was a smile she hadn't seen in all the time of their travels, it spoke of peace and contentment. Kagome was happy for him that he finally found his place in the world by Kikyou's side. All the more reason to leave now before her jealousy got the better of her. She bowed to Kikyou, both women had never completely overcome their initial differences but Kikyou's hatred and bitterness had subsided with her unnatural clay body.

After a last tearful smile, Kagome turned to the well and, after a short moment of hesitation, jumped into it.

_Thump_

_"Ouch!"_

A/N: This fanfic is actually based on a text-based RPG that I and Myo-un-chan created at . So the story is all there, I just have to translate everything from German to English and produce a nice FF text from our postings.


	2. The Beginning

Chapter 2: The Beginning

Kaede had been peacefully at work in her garden when she looked up and saw Inuyasha and Kikyou coming from the direction of the well – together with a distressed Kagome. With a sense of foreboding, Kaede got up and hurried as fast as her old bones could go to the trio headed in her direction.

"Kagome, child, whatever is the matter?"

Instead of the young miko who started to scramble for words, Kikyou answered.

"The time passage did not open to let her trough. We wondered if you might happen to know the reason for her rejection"

"I bet it"s the jewel. She was never able to travel without the shards."

Just as Inuyasha voiced his opinion the consequences of such a scenario hit him. Since the jewel was now gone from the world, Kagome would never be able to return home. Kagome came to the same conclusion and tears started to form in her eyes. She didn't even want to start thinking about what it would mean for her if she had to stay forever in the Feudal Era. She was interrupted in her musings when Kaedes old hand touched her arm in a sympathetic gesture.

"Calm down, child. The Shikon jewel, while it is quite powerful, would not be able to send ye through time on its own. Methinks the well is connected to yer fate. And yer fate was to carry the Shikon jewel, that is why ye were not able to pass without it."

Kagome's world started spinning. Kikyou's face was unreadable as if she had already came to the same conclusion while Inuyasha looked dumb folded from Kaede to Kagome who was obviously not ready to accept the old miko's words.

"But if that is the case then I should be able to go home! Maybe the well needs the jewel's power… maybe if we found something with similar powers we could make it work again!"

But Kaede just shook her head slowly and patted her arm.

"The well cannot be forced, child, and neither can fate. It seems yer fate here is not jet fulfilled."

As realization sunk in, Kagome clung to the old woman's hand to keep herself from losing it then and there. Was Fate trying to be funny? She had completed the jewel, defeated Naraku and set things alright between Inuyasha and Kikyou! What more could be asked of her? If it hadn't been so before then it was now official: Fate sucked.

"Kagome. Ye can of course stay in me hut, Shippo and young Rin will be delighted and meself will welcome yer presence."

Kaede's words were comforting as was her presence. Of course, Inuyasha scrambled to also issue an invitation to their new home, a small hut at the edge of the village whose occupant had been hit by some debris of Naraku's body and died, but that was the last thing Kagome wanted now. She wanted time to think and come to terms with her new situation and not be distracted by her first love's domestic bliss. Kikyou, too, did not seem overly thrilled by the prospect of having her incarnation in her home and so it was fast decided that Kagome would stay at Kaede's until they could figure out a way to get her home.

Shippo was playing a game of tag with Rin when Kaede and Kagome arrived. Because of his demonic abilities, the young fox demon was no match for the little human girl but she seemed unfazed by that. Giggling loudly she chased Shippo and howled in triumph when he allowed her to catch him. Both children were ecstatic when Kaede told them the news.

"Can I sleep with you, Kagome? I will be quiet, I promise! Jakken always tells me that I snore but that's not true! I asked lord Sesshoumaru if I snore and he did not say yes!"

In fact, Sesshoumaru had just looked at her with a contemplative expression and then resumed staring into the night sky. Jakken, however, had received a bump on the head by the time she was ready for bed.

"Of course you can, Rin. And don"t worry about snoring. I'm used to it."

As nasal spray would not be invented for another 400 and something years, there was a lot of snoring in the Feudal Era. After a few months of trying to stuff grass in your ears, you just learned to ignore it. Kagome ruffled Rin's hair affectingly. How that sweet child had managed to stay her cheerful self in the company of Sesshoumaru, the master of the stoicism, was beyond her.

A little later, after Shippo had made it clear that sleeping next to Kagome was, in fact, his privilege but had then graciously offered his new friend to share the pleasure, all for occupants of Kaedes hut sat down for tee. While Rin and Shippo continued their good natured bickering, Kagome's eyes wandered over the sparse furniture of the hut. She would try to find a place of her own if she really had to stay long-term. Then, her eyes caught a parcel, wrapped in expensive paper in one of the corners. Rin, who observed her scrutiny, leapt to her feet and brought the parcel over for her inspection.

"That is the gift lord Sesshoumaru gave me when he left. Jakken said, that it is for me to wear when lord Sesshoumaru visits me each month so that I don't look like a simple village wench."

Carefully, the little girl unwrapped the parcel and showed Kagome an exquisite silk kimono in pretty shades of pink. Kagome was stunned. She had initially thought that Sesshoumaru would leave Rin in Kaedes care permanently and quickly forget about the human child now that he found a suitable caretaker for her. But it seemed she was mistaken and the icy demon lord planned to visit his ward regularly and continued providing for her. Maybe there really was more to Inuyasha's half-brother, as she had suspected ever since Rin showed up around him.


	3. Encounters

Chapter 3: Encounters

It was awkward. Extremely so. Just a few minutes ago Kagome had been surrounded by her friends, they had eaten dinner together and then sat around the fire. Everyone knew about Kagome's circumstances and they were sensible enough to not speak about their plans for the future as they had the nights before. They had shared stories of their numerous travels, now that all had ended well they could joke about their encounters with almost certain death. The atmosphere had been light Kagome had been able to forget for a while why she was still there. Then, Miroku had taken Sango's hand and made their excuses for the night. His smile had been positively lecherous and after smacking him, Sango had blushed deeply and followed him to their new home. Just minutes later Shippo and Rin had decided to ambush Inuyasha and by that started a war that neither would give up on quite so early. That left Kikyou and Kagome all by themselves.

The silence was uncomfortable but try as she might, Kagome could not bring herself to make polite conversation. Not with the person that made no secret of her displeasure concerning Kagome's continued presence in the Feudal Era. She could understand her, of course. Who would want the rival for their husband's love to stick around without a real purpose other than possibly trying to snatch that love away? Of course that was not Kagome's agenda but she had a feeling that Kikyou would not believe her if she told her so. To her infinite surprise, Kikyou was finally the first to break the silence.

"I am aware of the fact that there are still feelings between you and Inuyasha. It is to be expected since you spent a lot time traveling together and you being my incarnation."

The words cut as they were meant to be. Kikyou would not tolerate Inuyasha being diverted again by his feelings for Kagome. She had suffered and endured too much to allow it now that they finally could start over.

Kagome fought hard to keep calm. The other miko just had that talent to always get under her skin.

"Of course there are still feelings. We are friends and not even you will change that fact. And I want to make one thing clear: I may be your reincarnation but I am not you. I am my own person."

"You are different because you have been born into a different life in a different era. Souls do not change. Why do you think did you fall in love with Inuyasha? It was because your soul knew him, you did not have a choice in the matter. You do not belong here, Kagome, your place is already taken by the true Shikon miko and I intend to keep it."

Kagome stood up. She could have strangled the arrogant bitch in front of her but she didn't. Instead, she yelled at her while her eyes filled with hot, angry tears.

"Is that how you thank me for saving your stupid clay ass? For making Inuyasha human for you? For backing away to give you your stupid happy ending? Well, I have news for you: I will not back down just because you told me so. I will stay in the village as long as it pleases me to do so and if you want to continue being a jealous bitch, by all means, be my guest."

With that, Kagome turned around and ran towards the forest. She did not want to wait for Kikyou's reaction, she just wanted to get away from everyone to shed her tears and think in peace. Her anger started to fade among the calming presence of the forest around her and she was just about to take a deep breath before heading home when she heard rustling behind her. Seconds later, she stood face to face with a huge frog demon.

"Well, well, well what have we here? Such a sweet girl… "

And that was when Kagome realized how foolish it had been to just run off into the forest. There was no Inuyasha who could pick up the scent of the demon and her distress and Miroku would be much too occupied with Sango to feel the frightened spike of her miko powers. Worse still, she did not have her bow with her, not even a knife or any other weapon. She was alone in the deserted forest with a demon who looked at her like a starving man would eye a hamburger. Definitely not good.

"How nice of you to come my way, sweet girl. I was just wondering what I would have for dinner."

Kagome backed away, slowly, while trying to come up with a decent plan for dealing with the situation at hand. The demon followed her. Then, she met a resistance at her back. A tree was hindering her and allowing the demon to close the gap between them.

…

Sesshoumaru watched the scene from the tree tops. It was clear that the girl would die a rather unpleasant death. He didn't care. If the miko was foolish enough to enter the forest unprotected and attract the attention of a demon she definitely would not be able to take on then she did not deserve better. He tucked a strand of silvery white hair behind his ear. He should be on his way to see Rin.

…

Kagome almost vomited when the demon licked with his slimy tongue across her cheek. The stench and the feeling of it was almost unbearable. But the demon seemed distracted with his own hunger, maybe she could…

"How sweet you taste, human girl. I'll make a special feast out of you."

His tongue began to stick out again but Kagome had already ducked under his arm and started running for her life. She could feel him following her, hear him calling, teasing her. Her only hope was that he would play with her long enough for her to reach the village, then she could scream for help and hope for the best.

…

He was quite surprised when the miko started running. But then again, when had the wench ever given up even in the worst of situations? Of course, she wouldn't make it. While the frog demon was stupid enough to let her go once he most certainly would not be able to contain his hunger any longer now that his prey had given him a nice chase. It would be over soon and he really should get going before his sensitive nose was assaulted by the frog's eating habits. But then again… Rin did seem quite fond of the miko when he last saw them together.

…

In the end, the demon's hunger overcame his fun at the chase much too early for his prey. Kagome collided painfully with tree trunk and only and heartbeat later, the frog was in front of her, baring his sharp little teeth.

"Now you made me really hungry, girl. I wonder how your blood tastes…"

Then, the world stopped making sense.

A/N: I'll really try to do Sesshoumaru justice in the next chapter. Reviews are always appreciated J


	4. Knights in Shining Armor

Chapter 4: Knights in Shining Armor

There was a green light and a sickening slicing sound, then a spray of blood took her sight. When she opened her eyes again, there were two halves of a frog demon instead of one whole frog demon. Fancy that. Her eyes traveled away from the ghastly carcass to find the reason for the frog demon's demise.

"…You? But…"

Sesshoumaru did not grace the miko's incoherent question with a response. He regarded her for a moment with a look of utter boredom on his handsome face. Then, he turned around and started walking in the direction of the human village while the miko still stood there gawking like an imbecile.

Kagome watched the demon lord walking away in his usual, unhurried pace. She still couldn't believe that he actually saved her. Of course, he had done so before but the first time when she was being strangled by Mukotsu, he had wanted a question answered and the second time within Naraku's body he had known that without her, the Shikon jewel would not be destroyed. Sesshoumaru wasn't someone to come to your rescue simply because you needed help. But she wasn't going to be picky about her saviors, although it was unnerving to be rescued from certain death just to look into the uncaring, cold eyes of a creature that would probably kill you next if you became an inconvenience. She moved away from the tree when she felt a painful stab in her ankle. This seemed to be the beginning of a long night.

…

The Lord of the West was concentrating on the source of the one smell in the proximity that held any appeal for him. Rin smelled like sunflowers, unlike all the other humans who smelled mainly of various stages of decay. Combined with the still lingering stench of hanyou in the woods and the new odor of dead frog demon, it made it hard for Sesshoumaru not to wrinkle his nose in disgust. And as if that were not enough, he could smell his half-brother, or rather the human who had once been his half-brother, walking in his direction. He did not wish to meet Inuyasha but neither would he alter his path because of a lowly human. If they were to meet then so be it. He heard him, too. Trampling through the underbrush, Inuyasha yelled for the miko he had just left behind. With all that noise he was making, Sesshoumaru was fairly sure that Inuyasha would not be able to hear the wench with his inferior human senses, should she answer his calls. His musings were interrupted when loud cracking and rustling announced the former hanyou before he burst out of the thick foliage in front of his elder brother.

"Sesshoumaru! What is your stupid ass doing here? Get lost!"

Apparently, being human had improved neither his half-brother's vocabulary nor his sense for self-preservation. Stopping, Sesshoumaru looked at the human in front of him with barely concealed disgust.

"Inuyasha. I am certainly not here to listen to a lowly human's rants. You should think very carefully about the manner in which you are addressing your superiors."

"Keh. And you should get that stick out of your ass and come down from your fucking almighty cloud. And you can drop the 'I hate you 'cause you're human' bullshit. Rin's human too, you know, and you like her well enough though I'll be fucked if I knew why she likes your cold ass."

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed a fraction, it was the only outward sign of his anger. Were Inuyasha still hanyou, he would have had his brother's claws in his guts by now. But the demon lord was well aware of the fact that even a punch to the face could kill his human half-brother and even though he would never admit it, Sesshoumaru had given up on his goal to kill Inuyasha. He had been so often on the brink of finishing him only to find himself unable to go through with it that in the end he had to realize that Inuyasha would not die by his hands after all. It was not sympathy for the half breed, of course. Maybe it was because he still honored his father too much to let his last sacrifice, foolish as it had been, be in vain.

"You will not speak of Rin in my presence. And you will keep away from her, half-breed. If I hear just one profanity out of her mouth you will be the one to face the consequences."

"Bastard. Rin lives in the same place as me. If you don't want her around me, get her a leash. You fucking bet I gonna teach her as much shit as I can just to see your stupid face when she sounds like me."

Only a heartbeat later, Inuyasha knew that he had probably taken it too far. He was hanging in the air, held by the throat in the iron grip of his brother's claws. The demon lord regarded him with a look of infinite boredom. That look, in Inuyasha's experience, was not a good sign.

"Stop it now! Both of you!"

Kagome could not believe it. Here she was, covered in stinking frog blood, dirt, slime and who knows what, hobbling around on a twisted ankle and these two idiots had nothing better to do than go at each other's throats instead of helping her, the damsel in distress. Okay, she hadn't expected Sesshoumaru to actively help her but he could have at least avoided Inuyasha so that he had the chance to find her. And Inuyasha, that idiot! Did he not know that a human should not, under any circumstance, annoy someone like Sesshoumaru?

To her utter astonishment, Sesshoumaru actually let go of Inuyasha, who fell gracelessly to the ground and started coughing and cursing foully at the same time. When the demon lord then looked at her with those eerie golden eyes, she wished she had chosen her words differently. His voice, if that was actually possible, was even colder than his eyes when he spoke to her.

"You, miko, should not presume to give me orders."

With that, he turned on his heels and started walking in the direction of the village. Without looking back, he addressed his half-brother one last time.

"There is a matter that I have to settle with you, half-breed. You will wait here."

And then, he was gone.

A/N: Writing Inuyasha is easy. Writing Sesshoumaru is hard. Getting reviews and knowing that people appreciate this story makes writing that much more fun. Thank you!


	5. A Sword and a Girl

Chapter 5: A Sword and a Girl

"Who the fuck does he think he is?"

As soon as Inuyasha was able to breathe normally, he started ranting about his elder brothers last words and how he would definitely not wait until his lordship graced him again with his presence. It took him some time until he realized what state Kagome was in and how thunderous her expression had become.

"Oy… what happened to you, anyway?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. I just got chased by a demon and would have ended up as his dinner if Sesshoumaru hadn't saved me. YOU MORON!"

By the end of Kagome's tongue lashing, Inuyasha almost wished the rosary back. When she was done with him, he took the young miko on his back and carried her to the village stream where she finally got to wash all the grime of her adventure off her body. In the meanwhile, Inuyasha went back to the little clearing where his brother had told him to wait. He would have preferred to go home to Kikyou but Kagome had made him see that Sesshoumaru would get his meeting one way or the other and he wanted to spare his wife the sight of him being dragged to the woods by a pissed demon lord.

….

When Sesshoumaru reached the hut of the old miko who took now care of Rin, he found the little girl fast asleep between the fox kit and the old woman. She looked peaceful in her slumber and Sesshoumaru wondered not for the first time why he couldn't just leave her there and let her live a normal, human life where she belonged. Silent like a shadow, he placed the gift he'd brought her next to her futon and left the hut. Not one of the hut's inhabitants had stirred when the powerful demon moved between them. Being the predator that he was, Sesshoumaru could hide his presence from others as long as he wished to do so. Maybe he should from now on only come when his ward slept. It would be enough for him to see her healthy and safe and Rin would be able to gradually forget him.

While he walked back towards the forest, Sesshoumaru contemplated the human that had once been his hanyou half-brother. It was remarkable how much he still resembled his father even with his now human appearance.

To his surprise, Inuyasha was waiting at the exact spot where he had left him. Maybe his younger brother had learned something from their previous encounter after all. Sesshoumaru acknowledged Inuyasha's presence with a barely perceptible nod and came straight to the point.

"The Tetsusaiga. I want you to give it to me."

At first, Inuyasha wanted to lash out at his brother. Insult him, tell him that there was absolutely no way he would ever hand his sword to his elder brother and that Sesshoumaru should finally get over his father-complex and accept that he had wanted his younger son to carry the mighty sword. But then he thought about how Tetsusaiga was laying in the corner of his simple hut, battered, unable to transform. It didn't look suspicious but it was still a powerful demon sword. What if some other demon found out that the Fang of the late Inu no Taisho could be found in a village with no one to wield it? He looked at his brother who, like most of the time, regarded him with a mixture of boredom and mild disgust. Sesshoumaru would keep the sword safe. He felt that he owed that to his trusted weapon. It was one of the hardest decisions Inuyasha had had to make in his life.

"You are a fucking, sneaky bastard but ya know what? I'll give it to you. But don't get me wrong, I still hate your guts."

Sesshoumaru's response was a single lifted brow that betrayed his surprise at Inuyasha's words. What had the bastard expected? He could not fight the demon lord as a human and he was very well aware of the fact that Sesshoumaru was more than capable to just steal the sword. There were not many options, really, and Inuyasha, for once, chose the least painful one.

Leaving his half-brother in the woods, Inuyasha returned to his hut where Kikyou immediately started asking questions. He promised he would explain later and made his way back to Sesshoumaru with the Tetsusaiga in his hand. With a defiant expression, he stood in front of the taiyoukai and thrust the sword at him.

"Here. Take it. Gotta still burn when ya touch it, right?"

Expressionless, golden eyes that did not hold any clue to Sesshoumaru's feelings at that moment, flashed briefly to Inuyasha's face and fixated then on the Fang. It was most ironic. After years of searching for the sword, after numerous attempts to steal it from Inuyasha and after he had finally let go of his obsession when he attained Bakusaiga, the Tetsusaiga was in his possession. However, as soon as the battered hilt touched the palm of Sesshoumaru's hand, the all too familiar burning sensation told him that the sword still rejected him even though Inuyasha had given it up voluntarily.

Without showing any sign of pain, the taiyoukai unhurriedly slid the Tetsusaiga in his obi, opposite his own swords Tenseiga and Bakusaiga.

….

Life continued in an unhurried pace after that night. Inuyasha had been down for a while after losing his sword but Kikyou had applauded him for his wise decision of giving up on the demon sword. It had always made her uneasy. Kagome, on the other hand, was busy helping Kaede with her duties and when she was not learning about medicinal herbs and their handling or treating sick villagers, she was practicing her miko powers. After the episode with the frog demon, she had asked Kaede to help her and the old miko was happy to finally teach Kagome the proper usage of her considerable powers. They hadn't given up on finding a way to send Kagome home, either. Especially Miroku travelled around the countryside trying to find some sage miko, monk or even demon who knew anything about the Bone Eater's Well or who could tell what Kagome's fate was and how she could fulfil it.

Almost a month after the well had closed, they had still no clues.

A/N: I realized that editing may not be my strongest suit. So Coming up: FATE STRIKES. Review, please, so that I know if I'm doing things right.


	6. Fate strikes

Chapter 6: Fate strikes

Wind tore mercilessly at Sesshoumaru's hair and clothes as he stood on the high plateau facing his opponent. He was here because rumors had reached him about a powerful miko who killed every demon she came across mercilessly and since she did so in his territory it was his duty to eliminate the threat to his subjects. Normally, he wouldn't care. Demon society did not, unlike human society, require of rulers to help their subjects and it was also against Sesshoumaru's nature to help the weak. But the miko had been stupid enough to challenge him and that he could not ignore. Cold eyes regarded the woman who dared to point an arrow charged with holy energy at him. She was plain, unremarkable but for the formidable holy aura that surrounded her. She was protected by a strong barrier.

"I will purge the world of you, demon!"

The miko shot her arrow. Sesshoumaru jumped into the air while simultaneously drawing Bakusaiga. When he brought the sword down on the barrier in an elegant arch, the protective shield cracked and hissed at the demon word but it did not break – yet. Unfazed by the close proximity of her enemy, the miko got out another arrow and fired it without hesitation at the demon lord. At the same time, however, her barrier shattered under the pressure of Bakusaiga.

Sesshoumaru looked down at his chest. The arrow had pierced his armor and protruded now from his flesh above his heart. The wound was not deep but the arrow burned uncomfortably with the reiki it was infused with. He turned his golden gaze on the woman when he heard her laughing.

"That is the end, demon. I might not survive this day but neither will you."

"Insolent wench."

With an ease that betrayed noting of the pain he was in, Sesshoumaru ripped the arrow out of his flesh and then decapitated the miko with a single sweep of his sword. The woman had been a fool. He had been wounded before by holy arrows and though they stung more than ordinary arrows, they were by no means a threat to him. He wiped his sword clean on the clothes of the dead miko before he sheathed it, then he turned around to leave. He didn't look back at the corpse he had left behind. He didn't see the smile on her pale lips.

Some minutes later he realized, that his wound was still bleeding freely when it should have at least clotted by that time. He began to wish that he hadn't let the miko die so easily. When the wound still didn't show any sign of closing, he got mildly concerned. Maybe he should go see Jakken. As annoying as the toad was, he did have some knowledge about curses and would know how to lift this one. The front of his haori was stained blood red when he started flying in the direction of his castle where he had left his retainer.

When Sesshoumaru reached the castle at the shore of the ocean, he was so weak from the blood loss that he was barely able to stand. He didn't show it, of course, when his servants came scurrying out of the building to see their lord. Growling at anyone who dared to offer their help, he walked unhurried and upright to his quarters, waving only Jakken a signal to follow him. Sensing his lordship's murderous mood, the toad for once held his tongue until they reached the lord's bedroom.

"M… my lord… are you unwell?"

Jakken watched as his lord rather gracelessly sat down on the polished wood floor of his bedroom. His lack of grace unnerved Jakken tremendously. Lord Sesshoumaru always moved with infinite grace, even when he took a blow. And there was blood… so much blood. He jerked out of his worried thoughts when he heard his lordship's emotionless voice. He sounded… tired.

"The breastplate, Jakken."

Hurrying to his lord's side and muttering excuses, Jakken began to unfasten the leather strips that held Sesshoumaru's armor in place, making a mental note that it would need repairing. He gasped when he saw just how red and sticky the garments underneath were.

"The wound is not closing, Jakken. Why?"

"I feel an aura of holy energy around the wound, my lord. It is like a barrier inside the wound."

Sesshoumaru laid back on his futon. So, there was no curse other than the still lingering reiki of that troublesome woman.

"Then my youki will neutralize the barrier. I will rest, Jakken. No one is to disturb me."

…

The sun was slowly setting over the ocean when Jakken returned to his lord's chambers to check on him. He had had a bad feeling when he felt the barrier around the wound but he trusted his lord's judgment. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that met him upon entering the bed chamber. Everything was soaked with blood. Could one body even hold so much blood? Jakken panicked, ran over to the unconscious taiyoukai and shook his shoulder.

"My lord! Wake up!"

When Sesshoumaru finally opened his eyes, they were as red as the blood that was surrounding his form, the slit pupils tiny, unfocused.

"My lord! Please allow me to find a miko to lift this damned barrier off you!"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer. Instead, his large hand gripped the small toad and before Jakken could protest, he was thrown through multiple shoji screens.

…

Jakken was so sick with worry, he almost hadn't managed to get Ah-Un from the stables. After his lordship had disposed of him, he had ordered all the servants in the castle to not approach their lord to prevent anyone from getting killed. Sesshoumaru's demon instincts had taken over and much like a wounded animal, he wouldn't allow anyone to touch him in that state.

Now he was in the air on the two-headed dragon's back, heading straight for the only place where he would find a strong miko that was willing to help a youkai: Inuyasha's village. As soon as Ah-Un touched the ground, Jakken hopped off the dragon's back and started yelling after the miko that had traveled with his lordship's younger bastard brother. She appeared only a few moments later, with a basket of herbs in her hand, followed by the old miko. Before she could speak, he started yelling at her.

"You! Come with me! My lord Sesshoumaru requires your powers as he has been most grievously injured by a foul miko like yourself!"

For a moment, Kagome could only stare at the agitated toad. Sesshoumaru? Injured? Needing her help? That didn't make any sense. But it had to be true or else, Jakken would not be here with her, looking as if the end of the world was upon them. She didn't hesitate. True, the taiyoukai had always made it clear that he held no sympathy for her or her friends, much less Inuyasha, but he had also saved not just her but all of them in the past. So, he ran past Kaede to her hut where she quickly picked up the satchel that she used to carry her medicinal supplies, then returned to Jakken who already sat on Ah-Un's back, screaming for her to hurry. She swung into the saddle and with a burst of youki from the dragon, they flew off.

A/N: Here we go. Fate is set in motion! Reviews are very much appreciated.


	7. Wounded

Before we start: Thank you so much for following and reviewing this story. Knowing that people enjoy this makes me excited to write for you.

Chapter 7: Wounded

It was already dark when Kagome arrived at the castle of the West. She couldn't make out much but it seemed rather large. It must have a nice view too, because judging by the smell, the ocean was nearby. Unfortunately, Kagome did not have time to explore the place as she was shoved inside almost as soon as Ah-Un touched the ground. Jakken dragged her through a maze of corridors with impeccably polished hardwood floors, lined by beautifully painted shoji screens. Servants jumped out of their way and bowed politely, though the surprise on their faces was clearly visible. After a few turns they arrived at an intricately carved wooden door. Kagome could make out huge dog demons in their true form before a grim-looking sentinel opened them for her and Jakken. The doors closed and the young miko found herself in a dimly lit corridor with only a few shoji screens indicating rooms. Everything looked very old and extremely expensive. The screens were thick and the paint on them glistened in bright colors, at some places there was even gold paint. Realization sunk in. Those were Sesshoumaru's rooms. Before she could get too nervous, Kagome felt Jakken tugging on the hakama of her miko outfit. His voice was uncharacteristically muted.

"This is his lordship's bedchamber. I will wait here. Heal him."

Before Kagome could even start to protest, Jakken had opened the screen they were standing in front of, shoved her inside and slid it shut again.

The room was lit by lamps that spread warm light over the scene before her. In the middle of the big, exquisitely furnished room was a large futon and on the futon lay the unmoving form of the Lord of the West. Kagome could see immediately why Jakken had hurried her so much. The entire front of Sesshoumaru's haori was red with blood. It was the blood that shook Kagome out of her daze and sent her into motion. She had done this before when a villager had been attacked by a wild boar. Quickly, she spotted a basin with water and some sheets she could use to wipe the blood off him. With the basin and cloths beside her, she knelt down next to the taiyoukai and reached out to remove his haori. Before she could touch him, however, she felt her wrist being almost crushed by the grip of a large, claw tipped hand. She hadn't seen him move at all.

Barely suppressing a scream, she looked into Sesshoumaru's eyes. They were not their usual, cool gold but a vicious blood red. At the same time, a low growl filled the room. She had never heard him growl before and she was sure she didn't want to repeat the experience. Ever. It frightened her in a primal, instinctive way and sent shivers all over her spine, the only reason she was not fleeing was her wrist that was still in the taiyoukai's iron grip.

"S… Sesshoumaru? It's me, Kagome… the miko that traveled with Inuyasha. I'm here to help you. So… could you let go of me? Please?"

Kagome tried to keep her voice low and soothing. Judging by the color of his eyes, Sesshoumaru was beyond reason, only responding to his animalistic instincts. Now she knew also why Jakken and the other servants kept their distance from their stick lord. If she got out of there alive, she would definitely kill Jakken. Nothing happened for some moments, then, as if a string had been severed, Sesshoumaru's hand dropped back on the futon and his eyes closed. His breathing was even shallower than before. Kagome let out a deep breath.

"Thank you. Now let me do my job and don't you die on me, mister."

She pulled at the sticky silk to expose his naked torso and froze. Because of the blood there was not much to see and she could not make out where the wound was so she grabbed a wet cloth. But before she could start cleaning him, she realized what she was about to do. This was no villager. This was Sesshoumaru. His entire being screamed 'Do Not Touch Me'. Yes, she had always wondered what was beneath those white silk clothes but now that she was about to find out, she felt extremely uncomfortable. If he were conscious he would have never allowed her to touch him. She should probably count herself lucky that he hadn't ripped her hand off earlier.

'Focus, Higurashi! If you don't touch him, he's going to die.'

Right. The voice in her head that sounded suspiciously similar to Kaede gave her the courage to continue. With flaming red cheeks she placed the cloth on Sesshoumaru's chest and started wiping.

Oh gods.

It was as she always had suspected. And much better. His torso was all hard muscle, yet nothing was bulging. The lines between his muscles were defined perfectly and created a picture of pure elegance and strength and _masculinity_. Kagome was so engrossed in her task that she almost missed the wound over his heart. Praying to the gods for success, she put a slightly sweaty palm over it and closed her eyes to concentrate. A few moments later, she found the foreign reiki. It took her another minute to figure out the barrier but when she had, it was easy enough to dissolve it. She was eternally grateful for Kaede's teachings.

Satisfied, she reached for her satchel and took out her needle and some string. She did not want to wait for the wound to close on its own since her patient had already lost so much blood. It would be hard enough for his body to compensate for that. Kaede had shown her only once before how to sew skin but she figured that no matter how clumsy her stitches were, they would not leave scars on Sesshoumaru's … absolutely beautiful… body. Fortunately, he did not wake up during the procedure.

After cleaning the wound again, just to be safe in case there was something like demon bacteria, she resumed rinsing the blood off to make sure there were no other wounds. Instead, she found that the stripes on his wrists and cheeks were not the only ones he had. There were twin stripes that started above his hip bones and sloped down to disappear beneath his hakama.

Biting her lip, Kagome put the cloth down and stood up. She should not be here, staring at this ethereal creature. Sesshoumaru would wake up soon and be his usual, arrogant, icy self and she should probably be long gone by then because he probably wouldn't take too kindly to her sewing his … perfect, smooth … skin like a piece of leather. Clutching her belongings, she slid open the shoji screen only to be met by Jakken's questioning eyes. She nodded tiredly and the green toad hurried quickly inside his master's bed chamber to make sure he really was healed. He returned with a relieved expression in his face.

"You will remain here, human, until his lordship is well enough to awaken."

Kagome did not protest. It was late and she was tired. Sleeping in a castle would be a nice change after her rather simple hut and besides that, she might have to tend to her patient again and she did not want to be dragged out of the village by Jakken again.


	8. Sick

I should really not be sitting here writing fanfiction. I should work on my lab course reports. Yeah…

Chapter 8: Sick

The sound of a sliding shoji screen and a shrill voice demanding her attention woke Kagome up the next morning. Judging by the twilight in the room, it was still very early. Way too early to deal with hyper toad youkai. Turning around on her futon, she tried to ignore Jakken who had apparently taken up the job of a very annoying alarm clock.

"Miko, get up! It is lord Sesshoumaru has awoken but he is sick! Your dilettantism made milord sick! Oh why couldn't I get a miko who knows her trade? You are such a useless human! And when Lord Sesshoumaru gets better he will…. "

Jakken was cut off by a wooden stool that collided with his head rather painfully. The miko, however, seemed to be finally coherent enough to understand the emergency and was already preparing to leave the room.

…

Kagome had no time to admire her surroundings in the first morning light as she hurried to follow Jakken to Sesshoumaru's apartment. She was worried for her patient. What if the wound had opened again? What if he got an infection? She would not be able to deal with blood poisoning in this era. On the corridor behind the wooden door, they passed a servant who was clutching a bleeding arm. Not a good sign. She took a deep breath to calm herself, told Jakken to wait in case she needed rescuing and quickly entered the bedchamber.

Her first thought was that Sesshoumaru looked even better in the morning light than he did in candlelight. He looked so ethereal. Like a sleeping god. The illusion, however, was destroyed by his claws which were deeply embedded in the hard wood of the floor as if it were made out of clay.

The brave servant had removed all traces of blood from the previous evening, including his master's ruined clothing. Fortunately for Kagome's maidenly sensibilities, he had also covered Sesshoumaru with a blanket. Kneeling down next to him, she could almost immediately feel what was wrong with him. His body, which had been so cool to the touch the night before, was radiating heat. Trying not to think about festering wounds, she carefully lifted the blanket from his chest to reveal her stitches. To her utter relief, the wound was healing cleanly with no sign of infection. The fever was probably due to the blood loss or was an aftereffect of the strong reiki he had been exposed to. In any case, it could not be healthy even for a demon to have a temperature that high. She grabbed a wet cloth from the basin filled with fresh water and put it on the taiyoukai's forehead. She tried very hard not to think about the silky texture of his hair when she brushed it aside. Turning to her satchel, she began to pick out herbs that she would use for tea later until she figured that the cloth on his forehead would need changing. When she looked at her patient, she found a pair of tired, golden eyes staring at her.

The first thing Sesshoumaru noticed when his senses started coming back was the presence of a human. He had a strong feeling of déjà-vu but when he opened his eyes, it was not Rin who grinned down at him but someone else. He started growling. Unfortunately, it did not sound as threatening as he wanted it to.

"So you are awake. Good. You made me worried. Aren't demons like you supposed to never be sick?"

Sesshoumaru continued to stare at the human while his brain tried to connect scent, looks and voice of the person in front of him with a name and further information. The human continued her babbling.

"Jakken got me from the village to heal you yesterday. I was able to get rid of the reiki in your wound but I had to sew it up afterwards or you would've lost too much blood."

It was a relief when he finally managed to remember the person in front of him. Inuyasha's wench. The miko that had travelled with his half-brother. The girl who had drawn Tetsusaiga from its resting place.

"So… how are you feeling?"

Sesshoumaru's staring made her nervous. His eyes were back to normal so he should be himself by now, shouldn't he? Or was he thinking about the best way to end her life? He did not look murderous, just… tired which was a strange sight, indeed. She had seen him indifferent, bored and angry but never tired. It made him look almost vulnerable.

"Fine."

It was a lie, of course. Sesshoumaru did not feel fine. He had an enormous headache, his body felt weak and he was burning but he would be damned if he let the human wench know that. Unfortunately, the miko was more perceptible than she looked. She even dared to remove the cloth from his forehead to exchange it for another. The cooling sensation was extremely pleasant but when had he allowed the human to take such liberties with his person?

"Look, I'm supposed to heal you from whatever you have and according to Jakken I'm not allowed to leave before you are yourself again. So, it would be really helpful if you'd tell me how you _really_ feel so we can both get it over with."

Instead of answering, Sesshoumaru just turned his cold stare at the miko. He loathed to admit it, but he was too weak to do anything else. After her little speech, the insolent wench had crossed her arms and was now returning his stare. Of all the mikos in Japan, Jakken just had to fetch the one miko that did not fear him and would apparently not back down. The toad would defenitley pay for this. Closing his eyes briefly, he decided that telling her would be the fastest way to get rid of her presence.

"Warmer than usual. Tired."

"Thank you. I'll prepare some tea for you, then, to bring the fever down."

Kagome took her satchel and stood up. Looking down, she regarded the taiyoukai laying on the floor who had closed his eyes again. She decided that he definitely liked him better when he was unconscious. After their short, one-sided talk she was certain that he would not be an easy patient to deal with and would probably get more difficult the better his health was.

This would not be fun.


	9. Tea and Conversation

Chapter 9: Tea and Conversation

When Sesshoumaru awoke two hours later, he was once again in full command over his senses. Other than that there were no improvements, he still felt as weak as a newborn pup and his temperature had still not dropped to its normal level. He used the time to make sense of the information he had so far. Apparently he had been unable to neutralize the reiki in his body and had almost succumbed to the resulting blood loss. Because of that, Jakken had brought Inuyasha's miko to the castle who had not only lifted the curse but also sewn him together like some piece of cloth. With some difficulties, he lifted his hand and touched gingerly the stitches on his chest. The audacity of that woman!

Some minutes later, he was bored out of his mind since he could neither go back to sleep nor find something to occupy his mind longer than a few minutes. He had always hated to be confined to a room and preferred much more to wander through his lands like a nomad. Being in the castle reminded him of his duties, both political and dynastic which he loathed both. It was enough to return every few months to take care of the most pressing issues and leave the castle again before the questions about when he intended to produce an heir with a suitable mate got too loud. Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he decided that he would not spend any more time in his bedchamber. Fresh air was all he needed to heal and he would get just that.

It took him a seemingly infinite time to get out of the bed and onto his feet. By the time he reached the shoji screen that led to the garden, he felt sweat forming on his forehead. He leaned for a moment on the wall to steady his shaking legs. Fortunately, there were no servants around to witness his display of weakness. He would have killed anyone who had seen it. Sheer willpower gave him the strength to slide the screen open and step outside into the cool morning air. He made it to the nearest maple tree before his body gave up and he slid gracelessly to the ground, leaning his back on the trunk.

…

Convincing Jakken that she did not intend to poison his lord with her herbs had not been easy for Kagome nor was the preparation of those herbs while an extremely suspicious toad youkai looked over her shoulder, commenting on every step of the procedure. When the tea was finally brewed to her satisfaction she had been ready to strangle the imp.

Now she was standing in Sesshoumaru's empty bedroom, a steaming tea kettle in one and an exquisite porcelain cup in the other hand, and wondering why men, no matter if human or youkai, insisted on being such troublesome patients. Sighting, she followed the taiyoukai's distinct youki through the open screen outside where she found the lord himself. He was dressed in a light, white yukata that exposed a rather big part of his pale, perfectly toned chest. Though he did not wear his usual impressive attire, he still managed to look regal and powerful. That, however, deterred Kagome as little as the cold stare from his clear, golden eyes. Without hesitating, she walked over to where he was leaning on a tree trunk, poured some of the tea and held it out for him while he followed her every movement with his stare.

"Drink that, please. It's a special tea that will help you recover."

She watched as Sesshoumaru eyed the cup in her hand and then delicately sniffed at it. He wrinkled his nose ever so slightly.

"Are you trying to poison me, miko? I will not drink your concoction."

Kagome groaned in frustration. Sure, the tea didn't smell great even to her but had he never heard of the saying that the worse it smelled and tasted the better it worked?

"Oh sure, I save your live just to poison you, that makes sense. Look, I told you before: I don't particularly enjoy being here so I will make sure you get well as quickly as possible even if I have to pester you until you drink that tea."

There was no lie in her scent and Sesshoumaru had to grudgingly admit to himself that at this time he had not the energy to remove the miko from his presence or argue with her. With a death glare that hopefully conveyed his feelings about the matter, he took the cup from her and drank its contents. The taste was even worse than the smell. The miko looked pleased. Then, to his utter mortification, she filled another cup and sat down next to him without asking for his permission.

"Great. I'll stay here until you've drunk the whole kettle."

Kagome ignored the waves of disapproval that came from the sick taiyoukai. Sure, she was well aware of the fact that this was not Inuyasha but his human-hating elder brother and that she should not push her luck too far but she believed also that he would not kill her simply because she annoyed him after she had saved his life. From her sitting position, she looked around the beautiful garden.

"You have a beautiful garden."

Sesshoumaru glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.

"It will be days until your mortal stench has faded from it."

"Well excuse me! It's not my fault you decided to come here and made me follow you."

"Hn."

While the miko bristled, Sesshoumaru took a sip of her disgusting tea. He decided then that if she really had to pester him with her presence, she could as well entertain him by satisfying his curiosity.

"Why have you not yet returned to your own time?"

The miko looked startled at his question but answered readily.

"The well closed. We're trying to make it work again we've had no success so far. I'm making a living as a proper village miko now. It's not what I had planned for my life but it's not bad either, I guess."

Sesshoumaru's expression grew disdainful.

"Cease your whining. Only the weak are content with a life that is not of their choosing, miko. If your life does not please you, change it."

"As if it were that easy! You have no idea what my situation is like so keep your arrogant advice to yourself!"

They continued exchanging insults, Kagome agitated and heated, Sesshoumaru stoic, sometimes not even bothering with an answer. An hour later, the young miko stormed out of the garden, taking an empty kettle with her. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. The miko was highly annoying, rude and stubborn but she was not boring and apparently, she knew what she was doing as he felt his body temperature drop. Another day of rest would restore his health.

A/N: Coming up: Kagome makes a fatal decision… Thank you for sticking around and reviewing!


	10. Kagome goes on a Trip

Yay, 10 chapters! Thanks to everyone who has been sticking around!

Chapter 10: Kagome goes on a Trip

After the fever was gone, it took only another day for Sesshoumaru's healing powers to bring the taiyoukai back to normal. With her patient fully recovered, Kagome was finally allowed to leave the castle and was brought back to her village by Jakken and Ah-Un. During her stay at the castle, she had had spent more time with Sesshoumaru than ever before. She still did not like him, he was arrogant, cold and still treated her with little to no respect but she also got a glimpse of the man he could be if it wasn't for his icy demeanor. Soon after their first conversation, or better fight, in the garden she had realized that he was terribly bored and apparently saw her as a welcome diversion. He had made her describe the future she was from and while he obviously did not approve of a lot of it, she was amazed how fast he understood the concepts of the modern world. Also, his servants, while being terrified of is wrath, were unanimous in their praise for the young lord, his political skills and battle prowess. It all made her see a more differentiated picture of the demon she had only ever experienced as a sometimes enemy, sometimes ally who travelled around with a sweet girl, a two-headed dragon and an annoying retainer.

As soon as Kagome was got down from Ah-Un's back, she was surrounded by her friends demanding to hear all about what happened, where she had been and why Jakken had got her to help Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha was especially upset, telling her over and over again that he would have come to her rescue if the others hadn't sabotaged his plans. It took the young miko all of the rest of the day to calm them down, telling them that yes, she was alright and no, nobody had hurt her in the demon castle. They were satisfied after hearing her detailed account of what had happened, except for Rin who made Kagome describe the tiniest details of her lord's home. Sesshoumaru had obviously never taken the little girl to his home.

Life in the village continued after that and Kagome was back to being the assistant village miko. All would have been well if the girl from the future wouldn't have brought Sesshoumaru's words back with her. 'Only the weak are content with a life that is not of their choosing, miko. If your life does not please you, change it'. As it was, her life did not please her and while all of her friends enjoyed to be finally able to settle down, Kagome grew more and more restless. In the end, it was Kaede who made her realize what she would do when she told Kagome that every young miko was expected to travel the country for a while to learn from other mikos and perfect her skills before she settled down. Travelling mikos were respected, so she would not have the troubles a woman travelling alone would normally face and she was now thanks to Kaede's training much better in controlling her powers in combat against demons. After making her mind up about leaving the village for some time to travel around and to try to find a way for her to get home, she talked to Kaede. The old miko was not thrilled by the prospect of losing her assistant but she had felt the young woman's restlessness for a while by then. Kagome did not belong in this era, after all and she was still certain that the young miko had yet to find her destiny. Maybe she could find it on her travels. Her friends, of course, worried and tried to change her mind or allow at least someone to come with her but she refused. She loved them all but this was something she had to do on her own.

Kagome left on a sunny morning with her trusted yellow backpack stuffed with anything she might need on the trip. It was a perfect day for travelling, warm but not hot, with a mild breeze and so she continued walking until the sun began to set and she searched for a place to camp. After collecting some wood and lighting a fire, she settled down and stared at the flames. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she almost screamed when a small figure emerged from the bushes. It was Rin.

"Rin! What on earth are you doing here? How did you follow me?"

Smiling, the small girl sat down opposite the fire. She had even brought a small pack with her belongings.

"Lord Sesshoumaru showed me how to be silent. I want to come with you, Kagome. It's so boring in the village."

Kagome shook her head. Really, she could sympathize with the girl. After all, she had accompanied Sesshoumaru on his travels and had probably been in all kinds of adventures and was now forced to live in a human village where the biggest excitement were the innocent games she played with Shippo. But Sesshoumaru would have her head if anything happened to Rin so she had to bring the girl back.

"I'm sorry, Rin, but you can't come with me. It's too late to go back today but tomorrow we'll have to go back and you have to promise not to follow me again."

…

While Kagome and Rin went to sleep in the woods, Sesshoumaru arrived at the village to check on his ward. When he realized that the child was not where she was supposed to be, he went straight to his half-brother's hut and ripped the door open. The wooden door crashed on a tree several meters away. The interior of the hut reeked of humans and human food, making him wrinkle his nose slightly in disgust. It fortunately did not take long for Inuyasha to get up and start yelling at his elder brother. He stopped, though, when Sesshoumaru grabbed him by the throat. His voice was very calm and void of any emotion.

"Where is Rin?"

"She's not here? Damn that brat!"

Sesshoumaru tightened his grip. He had not the nerve to deal with Inuyasha's stupidity or his foul mouth. The former hanyou struggled to breathe until Sesshoumaru loosened his grip a bit.

"She probably ran after Kagome. Left in the morning."

As soon as his brother's claws left his neck, Inuyasha stumbled back and started yelling again but Sesshoumaru ignored him. He had briefly considered punching his brother but that would have probably killed the human. So instead, he simply left the ranting Inuyasha to his wife and started searching for the scents of Rin and the miko.

…

When Kagome woke up in the middle of the night, she knew that something was wrong. The forest had become eerily quiet and her miko senses sent off all the alarm bells in her body to warn her of the youkai whose presence was rapidly closing in on them. Grabbing her bow, she shook Rin awake. It was most important to get the child out of the way of the impeding fight.

"Rin, listen to me! You have to run as fast as you can away from here. There is a youkai I have to fight and I must be sure that you are safe."

The girl was pale and wide eyed but she did as she was told. In the past when she still had been with lord Sesshoumaru, he had ordered her occasionally to do the same thing.

Relieved to have Rin out of the way, Kagome turned with a notched arrow just in time to see a huge wild boar demon emerging from the trees, running in her direction. Sending Rin away had cost her precious seconds, thus she had not enough time to properly aim her arrow which only grazed the youkai instead of hitting and purifying it. Only a heartbeat later, she felt one of its tusk tearing though cloth and skin and her own blood running down her body. Screaming in agony she collected her last strength to grab an arrow and thrust it into the boar's eye. The demon let out a pained scream and turned to ashes in Kagome's purifying light.

The young miko collapsed on the ground. It was cold. Everything was cold except for the warm blood that was leaving her body, taking all the warmth with it.

This was not how it was supposed to end.

She had a destiny to fulfil, hadn't she?

Maybe it was all a joke.

Then, darkness.

A/N: Sorry for the cliff hanger. Reviews are always very much appreciated.


	11. A new Life

Chapter 11: A new Life

Rin ran through the dark and scary woods, her feet were aching and her nose was running but she didn't stop. She would go on until she found lord Sesshoumaru who would come to Kagome's rescue and kill the ugly demon that had attacked them. Of course, Rin didn't know where her lord was but it was one of her most profound believes that the dog demon would always be there when she needed him, it was just a matter of time until she found him. Because of that, Rin was not surprised when she felt a hand gripping the neck of her kimono and lifting her from the ground only to be set back on her feet in front of the taiyoukai who looked down at her with his usual, stoic expression. Without missing any time, Rin started explaining the situation, begging the demon lord to save her friend. She knew that Sesshoumaru would not do so on his own accord. Though loving him more than anything in the world, the little girl was aware of the fact that it was not her lord's habit to go around saving people.

"You will wait here, Rin."

Rin's face lit up at the quiet words of her lord for they meant that her friend would be alright. Sitting down on the ground obediently, she watched his straight, silk-clad form disappearing from her sight.

…

Sesshoumaru knew what would await him in the little clearing before he saw it. He smelled miko blood, a lot of it, and the ashes of a purified boar demon. Apparently she had won her fight only to pay for it with her life. Her body lay sprawled on the ground near the still glowing ambers of the camp fire, her miko garments soaked with the blood that had seeped out of the wound in her belly. Calmly looking down at the moonlit face of the dead miko, Sesshoumaru tried to decide what he should do next. Rin, of course, would be very upset if she found out what happened to her friend and would want him to use the Tenseiga on the woman to resurrect her. Should he, though? After all, dying while protecting the life of a child and fighting bravely to the end was a very good death, befitting the Shikon Miko. If he resurrected her she would have 30 or maybe 40 more years to life while slowly wilting away and probably dying a pathetic death caused by some kind of sickness. He decided that it would be more merciful to let the minions of the underworld take her soul away and turned to walk back to Rin when a magical pulse coming from his hip stopped him. So, Tenseiga had yet another time made its mind up to save someone and wanted Sesshoumaru to do the deed. Turning slightly back to the miko, he laid his hand on the fang's hilt and watched the small demons as they scurried closer to the corpse. Rin would be very upset. Tenseiga deemed the human worthy of living. The miko would be in his debt.

He drew the sword of heaven.

…

It was as like surfacing after a long dive in a pitch black ocean. Suddenly, there was light and sounds and _air_ filling her lungs - it was the most amazing feeling she had ever experienced. Opening her eyes, her first thought was that one of the gods had descended from the heavens to prevent her untimely death but then her vision got sharper and she realized that the glowing figure in front of her was not a god but a youkai. It was Sesshoumaru, illuminated breathtakingly by the rising sun, sheathing Tenseiga.

"S… Sesshoumaru?"

She was not yet able to form a coherent question and therefore she was not surprised when she only got a raised eyebrow as an answer. Swallowing, she moved her still weak body in an upright position. There was blood everywhere, but when she pressed her hand to the place where the boar's tusk had ripped her belly open, she only found a scar that felt like it had been healing for weeks rather than seconds. Kagome looked up at the painfully beautiful, utterly expressionless face of her savior.

"Thank you."

Sesshoumaru continued to stare at her with his luminous golden eyes, he seemed to be thinking though with a face like that she couldn't really tell. By the time she had made it to her feet, he seemed to have come to some kind of decision. He made a regal gesture in her direction to follow him and then started walking. For a few seconds, Kagome just stood there, still disoriented from her death experience, but then she followed the taiyoukai leading the way. While the initial amazing feeling of being alive faded, she realized that she had never felt so dirty before in her life. She was covered mostly in blood, of course, but there was also sweat, dirt and even some youkai ashes. Having the pristine form of Sesshoumaru before her eyes, she wished for nothing more than a bath and a change of clothes. She shuddered at the thought that both might be hours of walking away from her.

After a short walk, they reached a clearing where they found Ah-Un curled around a sleeping Rin. Kagome was relieved to see the young child but then again, Rin was Sesshoumaru's priority and had surely been picked up before he came to look for her – she had probably even asked him to do so, making Kagome feel a wave of gratefulness for the good hearted child. Still not knowing what the demon lord intended to do with her, she watched him picking up the sleeping girl and putting her on the dragon's saddle where she curled into a secure ball with one hand holding onto one of the many straps. He had apparently done that with her before.

"So… you'll take Rin with you, huh? Okay. Then I'll just be on my way."

She had only turned half way when a cold, commanding voice stopped her.

"You will be her companion at the castle. Get on the dragon."

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Kagome turned around to face the taiyoukai. There had been no room for arguments in his voice. He had given her life back and now expected something in return. His eyes regarded her with calm steadiness but she could see the stone cold steel in them promising her that she would regret it if she dared refuse him. Kagome nodded her head slowly, admitting to herself that staying in the castle with its nice bathing facilities and plenty of food together with Rin did not seem too bad right now. Of course, she would have liked to be asked but it was Sesshoumaru standing in front of her, after all. Deciding that she would fight with him later over the terms of her stay at his residence she walked over to the dragon and drew herself with some difficulties into the saddle.

Sesshoumaru had already flown off on his youki cloud, heading westwards.

A/N: After a short break finally chapter 11. Hope you liked it. Thank you for reviewing and following the story!


	12. Nightmare

Chapter 12: Nightmare

It was very different from the first time Kagome had been at the Castle of the West since she had been brought there to heal the lord and leave as soon as the task was done. This time, however, the lord himself accompanied her announcing that she would be the caretaker of a human girl child who was to live at the castle for an undefined amount of time although nobody, except for Jakken, had ever seen the girl or known that their lord had taken a human with him on his travels. The rumors started almost instantly, although the servants had to be extremely careful not to be within earshot of the irritable taiyoukai, while the humans had been given rooms at the east wing of the castle, an area for unimportant guests.

Kagome sat on the tatami mats in their new room, a sleeping Rin next to her. It was late, yet she didn't feel sleepy as her head was still spinning from all what had happened that day. Fighting, dying, being resurrected and then taking off with Sesshoumaru and Rin to stay at his castle. He had not explained himself, of course, the only thing he had said to her during the flight was that he would kill her if she told anyone about being brought back to life with Tenseiga. Judging by the calculating, hostile looks the servants had given her, it would be most prudent to not talk about anything concerning Sesshoumaru at all. It seemed almost as if they were waiting for their lord to announce her being his lover, following in his father's footsteps. Apparently, they didn't know him at all.

Sesshoumaru had stalked off immediately after touching down on the ground, leaving Jakken to deal with them. The little toad had started complaining immediately but Kagome had been able to tell that although he was horrified by her own presence, he was pleased to have Rin back. After waking up the little girl, they had gotten rid of their ruined clothes, taken a bath, eaten a delicious, if simple, meal and retired to their new room where Kagome was sitting now in the dim moonlight, wondering just what she should do now. Her musings, however, were interrupted by Rin who started tossing around on her futon with an expression of utter distress on her sweet features. Worried, the young miko hurried at her side and shook her awake.

"Rin? Rin, it's me, Kagome. Wake up, you're having a nightmare."

The girl's eyes shot open and immediately started to fill up with tears that soon spilled over her round cheeks before she hurled herself at Kagome, sobbing. Trying to make sense of the choked words Rin was mumbling into her yukata, Kagome cradled the girl into her arms, giving as much comfort as she possibly could which did not seem to be enough. There was only one word she was able to understand: Sesshoumaru. Kagome continued trying to calm the child down for several minutes longer but it was futile and so she did the only thing she could think of. She picked Rin up, left their small room and headed towards where she felt Sesshoumaru's youki. Fortunately, there were no sentinels guarding the doors to his rooms this time and so she was able to slip through them without anyone noticing. Taking a deep breath, she walked down the corridor towards his bedroom door. She stopped before the shoji screen, yet before she could even think about being embarrassed to knock on his door at this time at night, the frame slid open, revealing a very pissed-off looking demon – at least she interpreted the tiny crease between his eyebrows in his otherwise expressionless face as such.

"What is the meaning of this, miko?"

Rin went still at the sound of his voice and Kagome was finally able to put the girl down, marveling at the effect his cool voice had on her. As soon as she stood before her lord, however, Rin hid her tear-stained face in Kagome's yukata, suddenly being shy about disturbing the great demon lord at night. Kagome put a comforting hand on the child's head, looking into Sesshoumaru's cold eyes.

"She's had a nightmare and she wanted to see you."

A slight push in the daiyoukai's direction was all Rin needed to overcome her shyness. She pressed her eyes shut and launched herself into Sesshoumaru's legs, hugging his waist. For the tiniest of moments, the mighty taiyoukai actually looked startled before his cold mask was in place again and he was able to glare at the miko in front of him. Before he could start talking, however, Rin's small voice broke the silence.

"L… lord Sesshoumaru I was so scared! They were attacking you and Kagome and granny Kaede and Shippo! T… there was blood and you _died_ and I was so, so alone!"

Sesshoumaru hadn't moved an inch since Rin had collided with his body and it began to dawn on Kagome that he had, in fact, not the slightest idea how to comfort a little girl who was scared by nightmares. Hell, hadn't he ever had a nightmare as a child and been comforted by his parents? Judging by the slightly confused and lost look he gave Rin when he looked down at her, he had not. Trying very hard not to think about how cute they both looked, Kagome motioned for Sesshoumaru to pat the girl's head. She feared that he would have continued to just stand there hoping that Rin would eventually calm down and let go of him on her own. Sending her a truly annoyed look that made her wonder if he was after all able to read minds, he lifted a clawed hand and put it on top of Rin's soft, brown, hair. The effect was instantaneous. The girl relaxed and stopped sniffling, leaning into the demon's touch.

"Rin. While I cannot guarantee for the old miko and the fox kit, it is highly improbable for me to die during the next thousand years. And the miko, like yourself, is now my charge and will be protected. And now you will go back to your bed and sleep without such foolish dreams."

Kagome stared at the demon lord in front of her with wide eyes while Rin disentangled herself from his body and gave him her most dazzling smile. When Sesshoumaru looked up and found the miko staring at him like an imbecile, he lifted one of his perfect eyebrows in a silent inquiry. Shaking herself out of her dumb folded state, Kagome took Rin's small hand and looked Sesshoumaru in the eyes. She saw annoyance, of course, and his usual indifferent, cold mask but apart from that there was also something else. He didn't look at her like a stranger anymore.

To hide her amazed expression, Kagome gave him a small bow.

"Thank you… for everything."

Then she took Rin and left.

Sesshoumaru did not move for several minutes after that.

A/N: An attempt at fluff ^^ aw, he's so clueless. Reviews are like fuel to my writing and greatly appreciated.


	13. Library, parts I and II

Big thanks to everyone reviewing and following this story. You make me want to write more. I hope that you will continue to enjoy reading it.

Chapter 13: Library, parts I and II

After that first night, routine started to settle in at the castle. At dawn, some servant brought breakfast to their room and after finishing it, Kagome taught Rin some lessons in reading, writing and anything else that she thought a girl in the Feudal Era should know. They often took their lunch outdoors to eat in the vast gardens surrounding the castle and stayed afterwards for some playing and walking. In the afternoon, she told Rin stories or showed her how to paint with the utensils Jakken had grudgingly supped them with. After dinner in their room, Rin went to bed and Kagome was left on her own. She was tremendously bored. There was no one besides the little girl to talk to, as all the demons in the castle seemed to suffer from some allergic reaction to humans and did not bother to say anything besides the absolutely necessary while interacting with the miko and her charge. Also, the open hostility of some of the castle's inhabitants prevented her from simply searching the place for something to do as the disapproving stares seemed to follow her everywhere she went unescorted.

A week after her arrival, she was ready to crawl up the walls and decided that she had to do something to prevent herself from getting crazy. That day after lunch, she told the drowsy Rin to stay where she was and made her way to the somehow secluded area of the garden where she could feel Sesshoumaru. She hadn't seen him all week, although she was always aware of his presence, his youki, which exuded power all over the castle.

The taiyoukai did not look surprised when she turned the corner. Of course, he must have sensed her approaching. He was sitting regally in the grass, leaning on one of the old trees as he watched her coming nearer without any expression crossing his handsome face. Kagome realized that though he was wearing his usual crested white attire, there was something missing in the picture and it took her another glance to realize that he was wearing neither his armor nor the giant pelt on his shoulder. It made her think back at the time when he had been sick and didn't look so damn forbidding and unapproachable.

"What is it, miko?"

Kagome almost jumped out of her skin when he addressed her but composed herself quickly. If she knew anything about Sesshoumaru then it was that he hated babbling and insecurity. And humans.

"Look, the thing is that I'm starting to feel really uncomfortable here. I mean, Rin's a great kid but she is a child and everyone else in this place looks at me like I'm some kind of infectious vermin."

Sesshoumaru lifted a brow at her in his version of an answer without having to bother with actually speaking to a lowly creature like herself. It made her suddenly very mad at him.

"It's not like I chose to be here, you know? It was your bright idea to drag me here along with Rin and so you'll be responsible when I finally snap and purify someone!"

"I am sure your conscience will not bear killing anyone to relieve your anger, miko, though it is a viable solution that I tend to employ when something or someone displeases me."

Sesshoumaru continued to look stoically at her as if he hadn't just threatened her life for simply bothering him. Kagome swallowed to do something against her suddenly dry throat. There was no way she could tell if the taiyoukai was serious or not, nothing in his voice or face gave anything away. But if she backed down now, she would never be able to get anything from him so this was her only chance. She balled her fists.

"I didn't want to bother you but there is no one else I could possibly talk to about this. All I want for now is access to some books to keep my mind occupied, okay?"

Sesshoumaru regarded the miko standing in front of him. She was angry but tried to hide it from him in order to get what she wanted. It was really pathetic how little control she had over her emotions, letting everything show in her face and smell. Her cheeks were flushed and her big eyes sparkled while her entire body seemed to radiate heat. He had seen that expression on her right before she let Inuyasha crash into the ground with only one word. Briefly, he considered refusing her request just to see what she would do. He was not his brother, though, and also thought about the consequences a refusal would bring. Quite possibly, the miko would start yelling again and discover subsequently that his threat to kill her was indeed an empty one since he had meant what he had said to Rin the other night. Kagome would be safe with him unless she either attacked someone under his protection or made others think she was somehow romantically involved with him. Of course, he would not let her know that. Lifting a hand to regally shut her up before she could start ranting again, he answered her.

"Very well. Tell Jakken that you have my permission to use the library."

The dumb folded expression on her face amused him. She could really look stupid when she was surprised. Then, she smiled at him. It was that dazzling smile he had always seen her give to her friends but had never been directed to himself.

"Thank you!"

He watched her go without replying.

…

Night had fallen for some time when Sesshoumaru decided that he had had enough of tedious politics and painfully boring administrative matters. He had not known that hunting down Naraku would lead to an accumulation of that much work on his desk. It would seem that he was stuck at the castle for weeks to come, a prospect that did not improve his mood at the slightest. Feeling too agitated to even attempt sleeping, he went to the library to find some book that would calm his raging instincts. Upon entering, however, his eyes fell immediately on the miko sitting on the floor next to a sizeable pile of books, apparently to engrossed in her reading to notice him. He made sure she heard him when he closed the sliding door with more force than necessary, making her head snap up.

"Oh. I didn't know you would come here."

Kagome watched Sesshoumaru as he crossed the room, chose a scroll from one of the shelves and sat down to unroll it, ignoring her during the process. He had looked ready to throw her out when he first entered, staring at her briefly with a death glare that had made her shudder and at the same time ready to stand her ground in order to defend her right to remain where she was. Why he had changed his mind was beyond her but she didn't complain. The book in her hand forgotten, she continued watching the taiyoukai. The light of the few lamps in the room did wonderful things to his shiny hair and it made his eyes seem not that cold anymore. Kagome felt her cheeks flushing.

"I am aware that I must be a fascinating object for your observation but staring is impolite. Cease it immediately."

Feeling her temperature go up several notches at his words, Kagome tried to cover up her embarrassment. She really hadn't meant to stare at him! Why would she want to stare at him of all people?

"Hey, I wasn't staring at you! I was just having a break from reading and wondered why you didn't try to throw me out, is all."

Now, Sesshoumaru turned his head to look at her. Kagome wished that some hole would appear to save her from this situation and his stare that seemed to be able to penetrate her brain and look at all the embarrassing thoughts she had had about him.

"Your stench, miko, has already penetrated this room. Your removal would not improve the air and since I do not wish to have any more discussions today and your shrieking displeases me greatly, you may remain if you keep your eyes on your book and your mouth shut."

Kagome stared at him for another second before she decided that getting angry would not help her situation right now. Returning her gaze on her book, she smiled inwardly because even if he had insulted her, he did allow her to stay in the library to read and she did not want to compromise that decision. After sneaking a last glance at the youkai who somehow managed to look graceful even while reading, she again settled into a comfortable position and continued with her book.

No word was exchanged for the remainder of the night.

A/N: Coming up: inuyoukai ladies take the stage. Reviews are always appreciated!


	14. Meeting the ladies

Chapter 14: Meeting the ladies

Spending time in Sesshoumaru's library and reading the books there improved Kagome's daily routine significantly and after only one week she had learned more about youkai and the structure of their society than in all the years she had spent travelling with her friends. There was, of course, a down side to her quiet evenings in the library as at some point each night, Sesshoumaru would show up. She had been surprised at first but then she figured that the taiyoukai probably wouldn't alter his habits because of her for there was the possibility that someone might interpret this as an admittance of defeat and that would be unheard of. The consequence were hours spent with the two of them in the same room, often silent but on rare occasions Sesshoumaru made her answer some of his questions concerning the future and they would soon start insulting each other until someone, which meant Kagome, gave up and left the library. The weird thing about those fights was that Kagome didn't feel sad afterwards as she had when fighting with her friends. The verbal battles with the taiyoukai left her steaming with anger but nevertheless she had caught herself several times smiling afterwards to herself about something he had said. His insults sometimes were just too ludicrous to take seriously.

Kagome was thinking about which book she would start reading next and if she should maybe ask Sesshoumaru about a recommendation while sitting on a park bench, watching Rin run around on the lawn. It was a really nice day and she planned to spend most of it outdoors. The peace of the scenery, however, was shattered when she felt two strong demonic auras approaching the castle fast. She got to her feet immediately and looked up into the cloudless sky just in time to see the forms of two huge white dogs disappearing in a flash of light. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Kagome sent Rin to their room but stayed outside herself since her curiosity would kill her if she couldn't find out who the mysterious visitors were. She didn't have to wonder for long, though, as a figure appeared on the other side of the lawn, heading straight in her direction. It was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She was about her height but more slender, giving her the graceful yet delicate looks of a ballerina. Her hair had the iridescent shine of an opal and was up in an intricate hairdo that left some of the long, silky strands floating in the breeze. She had amethyst eyes in a face that would make angels cry with envy. Kagome felt very ugly and very human as the female youkai approached her with a look of utter hatred on her angelic features.

…

Sesshoumaru sat in his study when he felt the surge of youki in the air. Frowning, he stood up to welcome his visitors although he felt very little desire to do so. It had been ages since his mother had last set a foot into her former home, preferring the ancestral seat of her parents where she could reside undisturbed high above the clouds. Sensing her in one of the formal reception rooms, he started walking. Letting his mother wait was a mistake he knew better than to make.

She was already seated in the richly furnished room, a steaming cup of tea in her delicate hands. She smiled her cool smile when he entered, indicating with a regal gesture for him to come closer.

"Sesshoumaru. How your mother has missed you."

Sesshoumaru closed the door and seated himself in front of his mother. He was not deceived by her words or her smile.

"Mother. Why have you come here?"

"Oh my. Does a mother need a reason to see her beloved son?"

"Stop this nonsense and tell me why you are here."

Still smiling, the lady inclined her head ever so slightly and produced a fan from one of the wide sleeves of her silk kimono. Opening it with one fluid movement of her hand, she looked at her son and from one moment to the other, she dropped all pretense, looking just as cold as the taiyoukai in front of her.

"Sesshoumaru, is this a human female that I smell? I am not surprised that you brought the child here but I was not aware that yet another of these creatures, a miko nevertheless, has caught your interest."

Sesshoumaru suppressed a sigh. Though he preferred dealing with his mother when she was not pretending to have motherly affections, he did not enjoy being interrogated by her.

"I have brought the miko here to take care of the child. Rin is too young to take care of herself in the castle."

The youkai lady lifted an elegant eyebrow, mimicking the questioning gaze of her son. Though she knew that there was more to the story than Sesshoumaru admitted, she decided to let it drop in favor of the real reason for her visit.

"Son, it is time for you to get a mate. Since you do not seem to be capable of acquiring a suitable female, I have taken the matter into my hands. I brought the lady Chiyoko with me whom I find to be a perfectly eligible bride for you."

…

"So you are the impertinent miko who has dared to impose her presence on lord Sesshoumaru."

The voice of the beautiful youkai lady dripped with venom and seemed very wrong coming from such a lovely creature. Kagome could do nothing but stare at her.

"I have heard everything about you. First, you heal him and then you find a way to make him allow you to stay. Did you think you could lure him into your bed like that? How perfectly presumptuous."

Kagome's eyes threatened to fall out of her head when she heard those last words and finally, her ability to speak returned.

"Now wait a second. It was never my intention to come here and it is absolutely ridiculous to believe that Sesshoumaru would ever even consider me, not that I have any interest in him."

After finishing, it stuck Kagome that maybe… maybe that was not the entire truth. But she would not go there now as the woman came even closer so that Kagome was able get a good look at her sharp fangs when she spoke.

"Lord Sesshoumaru is mine, wench. He will marry me and then I will get rid of you."

And with a swirl of shining hair and soft silk, the foreign lady turned around and stalked away into the direction of the castle. Kagome watched her go, wondering if that jealousy-sick lunatic was, in fact, Sesshoumaru's fiancée. If yes, she did definitely not want to be in his shoes. Turning to find Rin, Kagome felt some other feeling rising in the pit of her stomach. It felt dangerously similar to regret.

…

"I will not marry Chiyoko, mother. This is insane."

The female inuyoukai put the porcelain tee cup back on its tray and let her sharp claws trace its rim while she regarded her son with obvious disapproval. She did not raise her voice, though. She had never done so, no matter how frustratingly stubborn her son had behaved in the past.

"Why not? She has excellent breeding, she is pretty and her lineage is impeccable."

"She bores me."

"And of what consequence is that? All you have to do is sire an heir on her and parade her in front of your allies."

Sesshoumaru fought the urge to groan. What his mother had said was true and that was how it was done in all the ruling houses but for some reason he felt nauseous when he thought about a lifetime together with Chiyoko.

"This is not what I want."

The former Lady of the West narrowed her eyes a fraction and leaned slightly forward, looking directly into her son's golden eyes that were so much like her own.

"And what _do_ you want, Sesshoumaru? Maybe it is that young miko outside? After all, I have heard that she is quite pretty. Be very cautious, my son. There are rumors about you and that girl ever since you have brought her back after she healed you. Get rid of her and marry Chiyoko."

Snapping her fan shut, the lady stood up to look down on her son who stared up at her without replying. He didn't have to, since she could sense his anger perfectly well. Smiling her cold smile, she traced the crescent moon on her son's forehead with one deadly sharp claw.

"I will retire now. Think about my words and decide which path you want to follow. Become the great ruler you have always wanted to be or end like your father."

With those words, she left the room, leaving behind the taiyoukai whose claws had imbedded themselves deeply into the hard wood of the floor.

A/N: That's it for tonight ^^. Reviews are, as always, very much appreciated. Thank you for reading.


	15. Dogs that bark

Thanks to all reviewers, especially those who do it regularly.

Chapter 15: A dog that barks…

Kagome was sitting in the library, trying to concentrate on a book about inuyoukai clans, when she felt a surge of angry youki from outside the shoji screens. Seconds later, one delicate frame was thrown open with so much force that it sprang from its track and crashed into a wall. Scrambling to her feet with her blood suddenly running cold in her veins, Kagome couldn't do more than stare at the demon lord who had appeared in the now empty frame. He looked murderous.

"Sesshoumaru… what the hell…?"

Her words were cut short by the sudden lack of air in her lungs which was caused by a large, claw-tipped hand that was wrapped around her throat. She hadn't even seen him move. From up close he looked even angrier, his eyes were the color of searing hot, molten gold. His voice, on the other hand, sounded freezing cold, merciless. Struggling for breath, Kagome gripped his wrist, trying to force him off with all her strength but he didn't even seem to notice her efforts.

"Do you remember the conditions for your continued existence?"

His iron grip loosened a fraction, enough for her to breathe shallowly. With the air, Kagome's ability to think returned. She stopped struggling and started thinking about how to get herself out reach of the homicidal taiyoukai. Focusing on his face, she realized that he was waiting for an answer to his question and that was when it hit her. It was as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.

"You said you'd kill me if there were any rumors about… us."

Looking at him was almost too much for her. He seemed to be the most beautiful and the most horrible creature in the universe, taking up her entire vision with his tall frame. When he spoke, his voice was low but it seemed resonate in her mind. She would have covered her ears if her arms had had the strength to do so.

"Yes I did and now there are rumors that have even reached outside the castle."

He leaned even closer and one strand of his long, silky hair fell forward from his shoulder to brush against her hand that was still holding onto his striped wrist.

"It would be very easy. Rin would be upset, of course, but surely not for long. I would find another caretaker for her within days."

Suddenly, Kagome felt razor-sharp claw tips pressing into the soft skin of her throat, breaking it. Tears started gathering in her eyes although she knew that neither tears nor begging would keep him from killing her, it might even make him kill her faster. A cold feeling of mortal terror filled her mind, making everything seem insignificant compared to her overwhelming wish to stay alive. It could be over so fast and all it took was a slight twist of Sesshoumaru's powerful wrist.

"Very easy indeed. And yet…"

His eyes seemed to drill a hole into her head with their intensity as his grip tightened again, causing the droplets of blood that had gathered at his claws to trickle down her neck.

"… yet I appear to be unable to do it. Why, miko?"

With the very last bit of air she could find in her lungs, Kagome choked out an answer.

"… I… I don't… know. Please… don't."

He let go of her then and Kagome, whose legs had lost all strength to hold her upright, crumbled into a sobbing heap on the floor to his feet. Relieve and terror washed over her, making her unable to stop the tears running down her face. Only when Sesshoumaru spoke again did she look up to see him regarding his own, bloodied hand with an unreadable expression, the hot fury gone from his features.

"I do not have an answer either."

He left her crying on the floor.

…

"My, my, Sesshoumaru. You reek of human blood. Have you come to your senses and killed the miko?"

Sesshoumaru's mother sat reclined on a veritable mountain of silk cushions, regarding her son from lazily hooded eyes as he entered her chambers, looking upset beneath his stoic mask. Hesitating a moment, he sat down in front of her, frowning.

"I did not."

"But you did wound her. Why might that be, I wonder?"

Sesshoumaru looked out of the window into the cloudless night sky. The cool air calmed somewhat his still raging instincts, making it easier for him to think. He did not know why he had gone to his mother, of all people, whose teasing half-smile was now directed at him and who always managed to get under his skin with her questions. Maybe it was because she knew him better than anyone and would be able to provide him with the answers he couldn't see for himself.

"I was angry."

Both eyebrows rose on the lady's face. So the little human girl had managed to make Sesshoumaru angry and survived. There was not much in the world that could make her aloof son truly angry and under usual circumstances he disposed of the source rather quickly and efficiently.

"Then why did you not kill her?"

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes flickered briefly to her face while he contemplated his answer. He decided to give her the easiest one he could think of.

"I revived her with Tenseiga. It would be wasteful to take her life now after giving it to her in the first place."

"Ah but since it was you who revived her it is your right to take that life whenever it pleases you to do so."

The tone of her voice was light, pleasant, as if she would discuss the weather or a new design for a kimono and not the death of a person. It was that careless tone and the impact it had on his instincts which made Sesshoumaru realize the simple answer.

He could not kill her because he wanted her to be alive.

A/N: A rather short, yet dramatic chapter. Hope you liked it.


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